page_title: Coronation of the Thai monarch
section_title: Constitutional monarchy
hierarchical_section_title: Coronation of the Thai monarch / History / Constitutional monarchy
caption_attribution_description: English: The young King Ananda Mahidol
context_page_description: The Coronation of the Thai monarch is a ceremony in which the King of Thailand is formally consecrated by anointment and crowning. The ceremony is divided into two main events: the coronation rites and the celebration of the Assumption of the Residence. The coronation rites are a blend of Hindu and Buddhist traditions dating back several centuries. The rites included the purification bath of the king, the anointing of the king, the crowning of the king, and the investiture of the royal regalia, the royal utensils, and the royal weapons of sovereignty. The Assumption of the Residence is a private housewarming celebration by members of the royal family at the Grand Palace.
  Historically, the coronation usually took place as soon as possible after the death of the previous monarch. This followed the custom that an unconsecrated king cannot bear certain regalia nor carry out any religious functions. However, in the last century this tradition has been replaced by a mourning period of about a year after the succession. The most recent coronation was held on 4 May 2019 for King Vajiralongkorn.
context_section_description: After the revolution of 1932, the system of government was changed from that of an absolute to a constitutional monarchy. Three years later King Rama VII abdicated after violent disagreement with the new government led by the Khana Ratsadon (the "People's Party"). His nephew, Prince Ananda Mahidol, ascended to the throne as King Rama VIII. In 1935 the King was only eight years old and was considered too young to be crowned. His family moved him to Switzerland to be educated and for his health. The country was undergoing a massive transformation and was considered unsafe for the young King. By 1938 the government decided to invite the King to return to Bangkok. No coronation ceremony was to take place during his short visit. It was not until December 1945, after the end of the Second World War, that the King, now aged 20, was able to return permanently. A coronation was tentatively planned, despite the chaotic political situation and post-war malaise. On 9 June 1946 the King was found dead by a bullet wound to the forehead. His younger brother Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej was later proclaimed king as Rama IX. As he was only 19 years old, a regency council was to rule in his stead. King Rama VIII was never formally crowned, so only a seven-tiered umbrella was hung above his funerary urn. However, on 13 August, the government declared that the nine-tiered umbrella and other regalia should be presented to his remains and his regnal title changed posthumously by adding the prefix Phrabat, making him a fully consecrated king.
  In late 1946 King Rama IX left Thailand and returned to Switzerland, not to return until 1950. During his absence, political crises gripped the country, precipitating a coup d'état in 1947, when the military seized power from the civilian government. Despite entreaties for the King to return to Bangkok, he refused several times. In October 1948 the King was seriously injured in a car accident near Lausanne. In early 1950 he eventually returned for the cremation ceremony of his brother, King Rama VIII. Afterwards, the King celebrated his wedding to Sirikit Kitiyakara, and the date of his coronation was set for 5 May 1950. As the first Thai monarch to be crowned under a constitutional system, albeit under military control, several new innovations were added to his coronation ceremony. Due to the King's poor health, the customary three days of benediction before the coronation was shortened to just one day. The royal pandits who were to hand the King the anointment water, formerly drawn from the ranks of the nobility, were to be replaced by members of the House of Representatives, representing the provinces of the kingdom. The coronation took place over three days. The state progressions on land and water were delayed until 1963. In 2016, King Bhumibol celebrated his Platinum Jubilee, seventy years on the throne, the longest in Thai history. He died later the same year on 13 October.
caption: King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) in 1938; the king never had a coronation ceremony.
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